Advanced Tactical Lasers Deployed - Nuclear Missile Defense - STAR WARS Technology

[Mrs. Sharon B. Hodge]

MILITARY TESTS PLANE WITH ANTI MISSILE LASER August 14, 2008 - A powerful laser designed to shoot ballistic missiles out of the sky has been successfully test-fired for the first time, It is destined to fly on board a modified Boeing 747 aeroplane as part of a US air defence fleet

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Tactical Laser Could Work Like Long-Range Napalm
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Wired. com
By David Hambling
September 06, 2008

http://blog. wired. com/defense/2008/09/tactial-laser-l. html

In science fiction, it's one zap of a laser gun, and you're dead.
But real-life energy weapons likely won't work that way

Take the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) that U.S. Special Forces have begun to test-fire. Intended for "covert strikes," the ATL has been sold on its ability to blast away with pinpoint accuracy.
A very rough estimate shows, however, that the effects when you target an individual are not quite what you might expect

The ATL's laser beam is widely quoted as being ten centimeters wide at the target. It's exact power has never been stated, but it's somewhere in the hundred-kilowatt class. (The ATL has a single 12,000 lb laser module while the "megawatt class" Airborne Laser fourteen modules each of which is slightly larger, so a hundred kilowatts looks like a reasonable estimate. In addition a hundred kilowatts was the power of the original flying laser, the Airborne Laser Laboratory, and it's the target which new solid state lasers are aiming for, so it seems to be a sort of benchmark for weapons-grade lasers.) It may be somewhat higher (or lower). But by applying a little basic physics we can get a ballpark estimate of what this might do to flesh. For simplicity, I'll assume flesh has similar properties to water. The heat capacity of water is about 4.2 joules per gram per degree centigrade.
The heat of vaporization (the energy needed to turn water at boiling point to steam) is 2261 joules per gram

So if the beam stays on the same spot of the target for a full two seconds –- which is a very long time under the circumstances –- it would in theory boil off a disc around one centimeter deep. In real life, the laser would be much less effective, as smoke and steam would rapidly degrade the effectiveness of the beam. Also in real life, the energy is likely to be focused at the center of the beam. And flesh is not water.
And nobody is going to hand around being lasered that long… But we're just trying to get a general idea of orders of magnitude here

Bullets are lethal when they damage a vital organ (like the heart or the brain) or when they cause rapid blood loss. Most likely, a laser of this type would not easily be able to go deep enough to affect a vital organ. Plus, the laser would will be self-cauterizing, with the heat sealing off blood vessels.
It's not going to kill you quickly

While research in this area tends to be classified. But from what we know, the Air Force considers laser effects on eyes and skin, for the most part. Skin damage is very much easier to achieve than penetration; simply raising skin temperature to (say) 80C/ 180 f to a depth of a couple of millimeters will cause serious blistering (second-third degree burns).
If 40% of the body is burned in this way, then the target will be disabled and may die

A rough calculation suggests that exposed skin would be blistered/burned in under a twentieth of a second, so the beam could play over the target at quite a high rate.
It's unclear whether clothing would have much protective effect or whether it would simply ignite and cause secondary burns

So instead of "zap-and-you're-dead" in normal science fiction style, with a hundred kilowatt laser, it's more a matter of spraying the target all over to ensure they're done.
The description of the ATL as a "long range blow torch" is probably quite accurate

Read The Rest HERE

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Boeing Tests Entire Weapon System on Advanced Tactical Laser Aircraft
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Boeing News
ST. LOUIS, Aug.
13, 2008

http://www. boeing. com/news/releases/2008/q3/080813a_nr. html

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has successfully completed the first ground test of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, achieving a key milestone in the ATL Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program

During the test Aug. 7 at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., the ATL aircraft, a C-130H, fired its high-energy chemical laser through its beam control system. The beam control system acquired a ground target and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL's battle management system.
The laser passes through a rotating turret on the aircraft's belly

"By firing the laser through the beam control system for the first time, the ATL team has begun to demonstrate the functionality of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the aircraft," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.
"This is a major step toward providing the ultra-precision engagement capability that the warfighter needs to dramatically reduce collateral damage"

After conducting additional tests on the ground and in the air, the program will demonstrate ATL's military utility by firing the laser in-flight at mission-representative ground targets later this year

On May 13, the high-energy laser was fired aboard the ATL aircraft for the first time, demonstrating reliable operations previously achieved in a laboratory.
During that test, an onboard calorimeter captured the laser beam before it left the aircraft

ATL, which Boeing is developing for the U.S. Department of Defense, will destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage, supporting missions on the battlefield and in urban operations. Boeing's ATL industry team includes L-3 Communications/Brashear, which made the laser turret, and HYTEC Inc.
, which made various structural elements of the weapon system


Fox – Right Out Of Star Wars? New Airborne Laser Cannon Can Melt A Hole In A Tank From 5 Miles Away


March 31, 2008 - Boeing released this promotional video for the YAL-1 Airborne Laser, a modified 747-400 that is being developed to shoot down ballistic missiles during the first few minutes of flight


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Boeing Tests Entire Weapon System on Advanced Tactical Laser Aircraft
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Boeing News
ST LOUIS
Aug.
13, 2008

http://www. boeing. com/news/releases/2008/q3/080813a_nr. html

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has successfully completed the first ground test of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, achieving a key milestone in the ATL Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program

During the test Aug. 7 at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., the ATL aircraft, a C-130H, fired its high-energy chemical laser through its beam control system. The beam control system acquired a ground target and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL's battle management system.
The laser passes through a rotating turret on the aircraft's belly

"By firing the laser through the beam control system for the first time, the ATL team has begun to demonstrate the functionality of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the aircraft," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.
"This is a major step toward providing the ultra-precision engagement capability that the warfighter needs to dramatically reduce collateral damage"

After conducting additional tests on the ground and in the air, the program will demonstrate ATL's military utility by firing the laser in-flight at mission-representative ground targets later this year

On May 13, the high-energy laser was fired aboard the ATL aircraft for the first time, demonstrating reliable operations previously achieved in a laboratory.
During that test, an onboard calorimeter captured the laser beam before it left the aircraft

ATL, which Boeing is developing for the U.S. Department of Defense, will destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage, supporting missions on the battlefield and in urban operations. Boeing's ATL industry team includes L-3 Communications/Brashear, which made the laser turret, and HYTEC Inc.
, which made various structural elements of the weapon system


AA flight forced to make emergency landing in LAX Los Angeles, smoke spewing out of plane - Aug 5, 2008

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Jet Evacuated After Emergency Landing at LAX
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Passenger plane evacuated after emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport

The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES August 5, 2008 (AP)

Passengers are being evacuated by inflatable chutes from an American Airlines jetliner after an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport




Discovery Future Weapons - Boeing ABL anti-missile laser

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Boeing Airborne Laser Team Begins Testing Laser with Chemical Fuel
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Monday, Jul 28, 2008

http://www. yourdefencenews. com/news_item. php?newsID=8381

ST LOUIS, July 28, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], industry teammates and the U.
S Missile Defense Agency have completed installing the high-energy laser aboard the Airborne Laser (ABL) aircraft and have begun testing the laser with its chemical fuel at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif

The tests involve flowing the laser's chemicals through the laser to confirm sequencing and control Once these tests are completed, the test team will fire the laser aboard the aircraft on the ground for the first time

"The Airborne Laser team has done a great job preparing the high-energy laser for these fuel tests, which will lead the way toward achieving 'first light' of the laser aboard the aircraft," said Mike Rinn, Boeing vice president and ABL program director "Once again, we made and demonstrated enormous progress toward ushering in a new age of directed-energy weapons"

Repeated laser firings aboard the aircraft will demonstrate lasing duration and power at levels suitable for the destruction of multiple classes of ballistic missiles. The laser will then be fired through the aircraft's beam control/fire control system, including the nose-mounted turret.
This will be followed by functional check flights of the entire ABL weapon system The test campaign will start with the first airborne intercept of a ballistic missile in 2009

The ABL aircraft consists of a modified Boeing 747-400F whose back half holds the high-energy laser, designed and built by Northrop Grumman.
Before being installed, the high-energy laser completed rigorous ground testing in a laboratory at Edwards The aircraft's front half contains the beam control/fire control system, developed by Lockheed Martin, and the battle management system, provided by Boeing

Boeing is the prime contractor for ABL, which will provide speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight



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American Airlines Testing Anti-Missile Technology
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CBS News
Jul 16, 2008

http://wbztv. com/local/airplane. safety. boston. 2. 772779. html

BOSTON (WBZ) ― You can almost touch the planes as they roar over Point Shirley in Winthrop on their way to Logan Airport.
The passengers were checked for explosives before they got on, however, a growing concern is what could happen away from the airport: Terrorist firing a shoulder launched-missile just outside the airport's property The light weight weapons are becoming and more available on the black market, as many as 150,000 are believed to be in circulation and can easily bring down a plane

But now American Airlines is flying with new defensive technology on some of its New York to Los Angeles flights

Developed in New Hampshire by defense contractor, BAE Systems, the cross country passenger jets are now equipped with a laser deterrent system mounted on the plane's belly.
It can identify and misdirect an incoming missile It's being tested for Homeland Security

Laurie Nuzzo is the Program manager for BAE Systems in Nashua New Hampshire where technology was developed.
"Over several years we have been testing and validating the system So now it is really great to see us now at this point on an in service passenger aircraft"

American Airlines is not using the technology on any Boston-based flights.
At $1 million per plane, the missile defense system is expensive Nonetheless passenger we spoke to like the idea

"No one is going to catch you by surprise now, maybe it will save lives," said one traveler

BAE Systems is one of two defense contractors hoping to win a government contract Congress will decide the future of this technology before next summer

Experts say as many as 27 different terrorists organizations have the shoulder missile weapons They sell for as little as $10,000



Feds adding ANTI EXPLOSION DEVICES on American airlines 7-16-08





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Beleaguered American cancels 900 more flights
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Carrier inspects wiring on MD-80s; estimated 250,000 travelers affected

Associated Press
4-10-08

http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/24029455/

DALLAS - American Airlines canceled more than 900 flights Thursday to fix faulty wiring in hundreds of jets, marking the third straight day of mass groundings as company executives offered profuse apologies and travel vouchers to calm angry customers

American, the nation’s largest carrier, has now scrubbed more than 2,400 flights since Tuesday, when federal regulators warned that nearly half its planes could violate a safety regulation designed to prevent fires

That’s more than one in three flights canceled over the last three days

Daniel Garton, an executive vice president of American, said cancellations could extend into Friday

Slow process
A return to normal operations depends on how quickly mechanics can inspect and fix the wire bundles Airline spokesman Tim Wagner said late Wednesday afternoon that 60 planes had been cleared to fly, 119 were being worked on, and 121 planes had not yet been inspected

The fallout could be seen at airport ticket counters, where frustrated customers bickered with American employees, and on the stock market, where shares of American’s parent company tumbled more than 11 percent Wednesday

American estimates that more than 100 passengers would have been on each of those canceled flights That means a quarter-million people have been inconvenienced this week

Airline executives said they thought they had fixed the wiring two weeks ago, when they canceled more than 400 flights to inspect and in some cases fix the shielding around the wires in their MD-80 aircraft

But this week, Federal Aviation Administration inspectors (FAA), who have been conducting stepped-up surveys of airline compliance with safety rules called airworthiness directives, said 15 of 19 American jets they examined flunked That left the airline no choice but to ground all 300 of its MD-80s, the most common jet in American’s 655-plane fleet

“We have obviously failed to complete the airworthiness directive to the precise standards that the FAA requires, and I take full responsibility for that,” Gerard Arpey, American’s chairman and chief executive, said at an industry event in California

The FAA's second wave of audits will go on until June 30, The New York Times reported on Thursday, so the misery for flyers could go on for months

American VP apologizes
Back at American’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Garton apologized for the snafu and vowed the airline would fix the problem this time

“We simply cannot put our customers through this again,” he said

Garton added that for American, “this certainly couldn’t have come at a worse time” The airline faces record fuel prices and fear of a recession, and analysts forecast that its parent, AMR Corp, lost more than $300 million in the first three months of the year

American declined to say how much it would spend on $500 travel vouchers and hotel rooms for stranded travelers and overtime for mechanics, or how much revenue it would lose by putting some displaced customers on other airlines But Garton said it would be “significant”

Perhaps worried about that cost, investors on Wednesday sent AMR shares down $115 to $917

American’s problem — and Alaska Airlines’ cancellation of 14 flights Wednesday to inspect its nine MD-80s — stems from an FAA order in 2006 covering the bundling of wires in the backup power system for the fuel pump of the MD-80 The FAA says improperly bundled wires could rub, leading to an electrical short or even fire

American officials said the safety of their planes was never jeopardized, and the FAA said no serious incidents have been blamed on poorly bundled wires

‘We’re a little skeptical’
Some passengers took a jaundiced view toward American’s promise to fix the problems

Kathy Neer of Santa Fe, N.M.
, was caught up in both waves of cancellations to and from a vacation in Paris She and her husband were stranded in Dallas on Tuesday on the final leg of their journey home American gave the Neers a voucher for a hotel room and seats on another flight home Wednesday

“They say our flight is leaving at 3:55 p.
m, but do you think we trust them?” Neer said “After being burned twice, we’re a little skeptical”

..
Anti-missile lasers installed on American Airline flights


ABL or BAE laser SPOTTED ON WTC 2nd tower during 9-11 - remote guidance systems?